Eukaryotic mRNA Processing

Edited by Adrian R. Krainer

Eukaryotic mRNA Processing

Edited by Adrian R. Krainer

Description

The control of gene expression occurs at many levels, including transcription, RNA maturation, and translation. Eukaryotic messenger RNA's undergo a variety of complex processing reactions, each one essential for gene expression and its proper regulation. This volume focuses on the major mRNA maturation reactions, primarily those that take place in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells. Topics include: the assembly of newly synthesized nuclear mRNA transcripts into hnRNP particles and catalyically active spliceosomes; the structure and mechanism of action of small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles and protein factors that catalyze pre-mRNA splicing in mammalian cells and in yeast; the regulation of gene expression and generation of protein isoform diversity by
alternative splicing; the mechanisms of 3' end cleavage and polyadenylation; the architecture of the cell nucleus in relation to these processes and to the localization of the relevant substrates and factors; the diverse mechanisms of RNA processing by ribozymes and theior potential relevance for nuclear mRNA processing; the mechanisms of pliced-leader addition by trans-splicing in nematodes and tryanosomes; and the process of insertion/deletion mRNA editing in kinetoplasmid protozoa. Leading researchers provide detailed critical reviews of the history, experimental approaches, major advances, current models, and future directions for these areas of research. New students to mRNA in particular will find it useful and inspiring.

Eukaryotic mRNA Processing

Edited by Adrian R. Krainer

Reviews and Awards

"It was only 20 years ago that an mRNA was considered to be a hard-wired connector, faithfully transporting the linear genetic code from DNA to ribosomes. All this changed with the discovery of mRNA splicing in the late 1970s. The realization that the initial RNA transcript must be extensively processed prior to nuclear export and translation has opened up a whole new field of molecular biology--RNA processing. Research in this area has culminated in an appreciation for the full extent to which processing of an mRNA determines both its functional capacity and its coding potential. . . . [T]he chapters present and attempt to reconcile disparate findings and models. The writing is clear, references are copious, and the figures ... are useful adjuncts to the text. . . . The
revolution in our understanding of eukaryotic mRNA biology brought on by the past 20 years of research on RNA processing is nicely captured, documented, and synthesized in this volume."--The Quarterly Review of Biology